Do you rely on electricity like you do food and water? What would life be like without electricity to power your favorite video games, television shows, telephones, and even the lights you read by at night?

Just think…without electricity, you wouldn't be able to enjoy your daily Wonder of the Day! What a horrible thought! But don't worry. Electricity does exist and it allows us to enjoy life in so many ways.

Since electricity is a natural force that exists in our world, it didn't have to be invented. It did, however, have to be discovered and understood. Most people give credit to Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity.

Benjamin Franklin had one of the greatest scientific minds of his time. He was interested in many areas of science, made many discoveries, and invented many things, including bifocal glasses. In the mid-1700s, he became interested in electricity.

Up until that time, scientists had mainly known about and experimented with static electricity. Benjamin Franklin took things a big step ahead. He came up with the idea that electricity had positive and negative elements and that electricity flowed between these elements. He also believed that lightning was a form of this flowing electricity.

In 1752, Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment. In order to show that lightning was electricity, he flew a kite during a thunderstorm. He tied a metal key to the kite string to conduct the electricity.

Just as he thought, electricity from the storm clouds transferred to the kite and electricity flowed down the string and gave him a shock. He's lucky that he didn't get hurt, but he didn't mind the shock since it proved his idea.

Building upon Franklin's work, many other scientists studied electricity and began to understand more about how it works. For example, in 1879, Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb and our world has been brighter ever since!

But was Benjamin Franklin really the first person to discover electricity? Maybe not! At the turn of the 17th century, English scientist William Gilbert established the science underlying the study of electricity and magnetism. Inspired by Gilbert's work, another Englishman, Sir Thomas Browne, made further investigations and wrote books about his findings. Gilbert and Browne are credited with being the first scientists to use the term "electricity."

Scientists have found evidence that ancient peoples may have experimented with electricity, too. In 1936, a clay pot was discovered that suggests that the first batteries may have been invented over 2,000 years ago. The clay pot contained copper plates, tinalloy, and an iron rod.

It could have been used to create an electric current by filling it with an acidic solution, like vinegar. No one knows what the device was used for, but it sheds some light on the fact that people may have been learning about electricity long before Benjamin Franklin!

Did you get it?

Wonder What's Next?

We’re afraid tomorrow’s squeaky Wonder of the Day might have you hiding in the trunk!

Try It Out

Are you ready to have some fun with electricity? Be sure to explore the following activities with a friend or family member:

Do you take electricity for granted? It's OK if you do. Most of us do from time to time. We get so used to flipping the light switch and seeing the lights come on, that we forget how much we rely on electricity until the power goes out. Take some time today to think about how much of a role electricity plays in your daily life. From the time you get up until the time you go to bed, think about all the ways you rely on electricity. From lights to alarm clocks to refrigerators to washing machines, electricity plays a critical role all throughout the day. WONDERing how all those appliances and gadgets are powered? Check out this animated guide from SaveOnEnergy to see how electricity is produced.

Depending upon where you live, electricity might be generated in a number of different ways. Many of these ways use natural resources, such as coal, to create the power we use. Since most natural resources are scarce and not easy to replace, we need to be careful about how much electricity we use. Jump online to check out How You Can Save Energy to read about some easy ways that you can help save electricity. You might be surprised by how much electricity you can save by making easy, simple changes to your daily routine.

If you want to try a fun electricity experiment, try to make your own Homemade Battery using a lemon, a penny, and a few other common household items. Have fun and make sure you get an adult to help you!

Nigx

Wonderopolis

Mar 12, 2018

Thanks for asking, Nigx! We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author. Since we do not list the publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may put the date you accessed this page for information. The following is how you would cite this page:

Mainak

Milan

May 6, 2018

It's a shame that people who drive cars turn their lightson in the house, use the refrigerators washing machines vacum cleaners, remote control etc. etc. don't know that this are the products of Nikola Tesla.

Wonderopolis

Jabber

Jan 16, 2018

Edison did not invent the lightbulb. Humphrey Davy demonstrated electric lighting in 1806 using a form of arc light. Later Joseph swan created the first incandescent light bulb and demonstrated it in 1860, 19 years before Edison demonstrated his first bulb.

Wonderopolis

Yesterdays Gentlemen

Aug 24, 2018

Actually when Edison toured the 1876 Centennial Exposition in 1876 in Philadelphia he stopped by a booth set up by Mr. Stanley. He had invented a bulb that when electricity passed through it the bulb glowed. His patented "Stopper lamp" preceded Edison's patent by several years. Mr. Stanly later was one of the engineers who worked with George Westinghouse and Nicola Tesla to create our modern AC system.

BBQQ

Wonderopolis

Nov 26, 2017

Thanks for asking, BBQQ, and yes, you can!! We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author. Because we do not put the publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may put the date you accessed this page for information. The following is how you would cite this page:

daevon

Sep 22, 2017

One thing without which life is purely unimaginable is electricity. Escaping the summer heat or enduring the harsh winters would have been impossible without electricity. Almost all our gadgets use electricity to function, and it is no stretch of the imagination to say that the world would come to a standstill if there were no electricity.
So, did you ever wonder who discovered electricity and when was it first used? The simple answer is Benjamin Franklin, but there is more to the tale than you might know of. To read more..https://goo.gl/bM97oz

Wonderopolis

Tasorius

Mar 15, 2017

If not for the capitalists who shut down the free and unlimited electricity Tesla was about to make the machine for, we could have lived in a much better and more futuristic and free world.
Greed has held technology, and humanity, back from its true potential...
The same applies to internet companies...
Instead of forcing you to buy the ability to use the internet, it could have been free.
They could have made a free system already...

Wonderopolis

My Friend

Mar 12, 2017

Benjamin Franklin grounded the basics by which electricity follows. He was making a point that lightning is a form of electricity. He expanded his studies of electricity into inventions and such of the subject.

Wonderopolis

Chloe

Feb 2, 2017

Snoopdog, you shouldn't be mean like that. The people at Wonderopolis are VERY smart and mabey some of the info is not correct but that's ok we all make mistakes! And YOUR not perfect Snoopdog! So please be nice to the people who really do like Wonderopolis, like me! I love you Wonderopolis!

Snoop dog

Wonderopolis

Nov 17, 2016

That's kind of mean to say, Snoop dog. We hope that you will be kind when you're online, because what you say matters and can hurt others. But on another note, we're impressed that you've read all 1,789 Wonders of the Day! Which one is the correct one?

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

Sep 27, 2016

We are glad you and your brother are WONDERing, Alena! By researching this Wonder we found that many people credit Ben Franklin with discovering electricity and Thomas Edison built upon Franklin's work to create the light bulb. We hope you'll check out Wonder #1273 for more WONDERing! :)

bob

Wonderopolis

Sep 2, 2016

Thanks for commenting, bob. We did some further digging and could not find a link between Thales of Miletus and electricity, despite his work in science. If you have a source for your claim, we would be happy to review it. Thank you! :)

Wonderopolis

Apr 17, 2015

Hello, the lover! Ben Franklin did discover electricity, but he also proved that lightning was a form of electricity. He conducted an experiment using a kite and invented the lightning rod. Learn more about Ben Franklin's experiment here. Enjoy! :)

Chakravarthy

Dec 11, 2017

Benjamin Franklin DID NOT discover electricity. Even the word electricity was already in use before him by Thomas Browne. And even before Thomas Browne, English physician named William Gilbert first used the Latin word ‘electricus’. Franklin just further experimented on the idea. In fact he was just testing if the electricity produced by static charges is same as lightning bolt because the similarities they hold.
Furthermore, you only explain the Western version of the researches done. In ancient India, more than 3000 years ago, another scientist, also a saint, Saint Agasthiyar wrote in his writings on how to build a battery. His batteries were used in many Eastern countries as far as Persia currently known as the Baghdad Battery

Stefan

Wonderopolis

Jun 3, 2014

Thank you for WONDERing with us today, Stefan. Thank you for pointing out that Nikola Tesla developed the alternating-current electrical system that's widely used today. That would have been a WONDERful addition to this Wonder.

sleepy

Wonderopolis

May 28, 2012

It makes us SUPER happy that you shared this Wonder with your family, Sleepy! We think it's GREAT when families learn together in Wonderopolis! Thanks for letting us know and THANKS for being a GREAT Wonder Friend! :-)

Ben

Wonderopolis

May 16, 2012

We're glad you liked the video for this Wonder about electricity, Ben! We think there are different ways to harness electricity, but the device in the video is called a Tesla Coil. We encourage you to do some more WONDERing about it on your own! Thanks for being a GREAT Wonder Friend! :-)

AudreyG and Molly from mrs Phi...

May 15, 2012

Hello wonderopolis friends!
I loved the wonder today! I like how you wonder friends explain the wonder of the day. I wonder how you come up with all those ideas? I wonder what the 10th wonder is? Where did they find electricity? I wonder what electricity is made of? How long has electricity been around?
Happy wondering day wonderopolis!

Wonderopolis

May 15, 2012

We're so proud of you guys for WONDERing even MORE about electricity after you explored this Wonder of the Day® about it, Audrey and Molly! Way to go! Did you know that many of the ideas for our Wonders of the Day come from the WONDERful, creative minds of Wonder Friends just like YOU? It's true! You can tell us what you're WONDERing any time you like by clicking on the "nominate" button at the top of every page in Wonderopolis and answering a few quick questions. It's easy and LOTS of FUN!
Oh, and here is Wonder #10: Can You Travel the World Without Leaving Home? https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/travel-guides/. We hope you have fun exploring it! :-)

Pandakin

Wonderopolis

Bradley

May 9, 2012

I loved today's wonder! I remember clicking on it,"Did people really discover electricity?" I knew it was already there! But to discover means also to understand it! I hope Wonderopolis does a wonder about the theatre, stage, acting, etc. because I'm an actor! Hopefully it's tomorrow because of caught in the ACT!

Wonderopolis

May 10, 2012

Hi, Bradley! Thanks for leaving us such an AMAZING comment! We're glad to hear that you "discovered" some new facts about electricity by exploring this Wonder of the Day®! Thanks for sharing that you would like to explore a future Wonder about acting, too! We think that's a GREAT idea! :-)

wonder

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

Hi, "Wonder!" Yes, the video for today's Wonder was real, although we don't know when or where it was filmed. We thought our AWESOME Wonder Friends (like YOU!) would enjoy seeing a Tesla Coil in action (the device the man is using to make the electricity). Thanks for sharing your comment with us! :-)

joleen

May 9, 2012

That video is really cool. I wold love to do that! I wonder if he got shocked? He wore gloves so he would not get shocked, I guess. So he probably did not get shocked. I learned a few new things from the words. I wonder if you could somehow make electricity from just air? That I know would be pretty cool, don't you think!?

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

We sure do think it would be cool to make electricity from just air, Joleen! We bet that would also be a GREAT way to help power items that use electricity in an inexpensive way! Thanks for sharing that you liked the video for today's Wonder and for letting us know you learned some awesome new things in Wonderopolis today! :-)

Will from Mrs. Barboza's Class

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

That's a GREAT question, Will! We're SUPER glad you're WONDERing more about static electricity after exploring today's Wonder! We've found some extra resources for you if you'd like to learn even MORE about static electricity and balloons:
A great page on the Boston Museum of Science's website with great activity links: http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/staticmenu.html
The Miami Science Museum's "Atoms Family" Frankenstein's Lightning Laboratory: http://www.miamisci.org/af/sln/frankenstein/static.html
:-)

Mrs. Kolbus at Green Timbers

May 9, 2012

This is my first visit to Wonderopolis. I am here with 3 very curious students from Ms. Thiessen's class. We are wondering about the video. We all wonder what was that machine that made the electricity? Keerit is wondering how did the man in the video survive? And also - why did the electricity in the video change color? Jackson wants to know how the man is still alive. Maven is wondering what is the man in the video holding in his hand? We all thought the video was very interesting!

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

Welcome to Wonderopolis, Mrs. Kolbus! We think it's AWESOME that you, Keerit, Jackson and Maven are all WONDERing so much about the video for today's Wonder of the Day®!
The machine in the video is called a Tesla Coil. Because we choose videos from many different places to accompany our Wonders of the Day, we don't always know everything about the people in them. We make sure the videos are safe for our Wonder Friends to view, though!
You guys might want to WONDER more about Tesla Coils by going on a Wonder Journey to search for answers! We hope you do, and that you let us know what you find out...we would like to WONDER more about Tesla Coils, too! :-)

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

Happy Wednesday, D and S! We think it's GREAT that you both like some things that are the same (especially Wonderopolis!) and some things that are different. In fact, we think that's WONDERful! Thank you BOTH for being AMAZING Wonder Friends. We'll keep WONDERing and we hope you will, too! :-)

Mrs. Foster's 2nd Grade

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

Those are GREAT questions, Mrs. Foster’s 2nd Grade! Thanks so much for sharing them with us today and THANKS for visiting Wonderopolis! We're not sure if the man in the video was a scientist, but the device that was making the electric charges is called a Tesla Coil. We encourage you guys to WONDER more about this interesting device on your own...we'd love to learn more about it, too! :-)

Miss Kirsten's Kindergarten GT...

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

It's AWESOME that you guys liked the ELECTRIFYING video for today's Wonder, Miss Kirsten’s Kindergarten GT Class! Thanks so much for letting us know! We think all of your guesses for the next Wonder are SUPER! We can't wait to visit Wonderopolis in the morning to see if one of your guesses is the focus of the tomorrow's Wonder of the Day®! :-)

KF Dragons

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

It really IS a happy Wednesday, isn't it, KF Dragons? We're super glad you guys stopped by today's Wonder to learn some really SHOCKING new things about electricity and important inventions with us today! We liked your comments, Zackary and Evan...GREAT JOB, guys! :-)

Cassidy

May 9, 2012

I love this wonder. I really like stuff about people and the world, so this is pretty interesting for me. One time I was watching a T.V. show... I don't remember what it is called... but it was about how they had to try to figure out how to make electricity like Ben Franklin. It was really interesting. It was on Cartoon Network. I think that Thomas Edison was a pretty smart person, too, for inventing the light bulb. Other people don't think that this wonder of the day is cool, like I do. I don't care what they think. I am just glad that you guys did a wonder like this today. Thank you, wonderopolis!

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

Thanks for being such an AWESOME Wonder Friend and sharing your WONDERful comment with us today, Cassidy! We appreciate hearing the things you liked learning by exploring today's Wonder about electricity and inventors. We also like the story you shared about the television show, too! We're so glad you stopped by Wonderopolis today! :-)

candy

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

May 9, 2012

Happy Wednesday, Ally! We are SUPER excited that you think today's Wonder is cool, AND super excited that you LOVE going to the library with your class! We know a "certain librarian" at BES and we think he ROCKS! :-)

being or containing an acid; of a solution having an excess of hydrogen atoms (having a pH of less than 7)

determined by scientific observation

of eyeglasses or contact lenses, having two sections in each lens, one correcting for near vision and one for distant vision

abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light

existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by humankind

of or relating to the practice of science

in physics, indicating something that has fewer protons than electrons

of or concerning the electricity accumulated by a charged object such as an insulator

a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor